Vehicle seat back provided with a television monitor, and a vehicle seat including such a seat back

ABSTRACT

A vehicle seat back provided with a television monitor mounted to pivot about an axis that is fixed relative to the seat back through an angular range of not less than 180° between firstly a folded-away position in which the monitor is received in the setback, the viewing screen of the monitor being disposed facing the rear face of the seat back, and secondly an in-use position in which the viewing screen is designed to face a user disposed facing the rear face of the seat back.

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat back provided with a television monitor, and to a vehicle seat including such a seat back.

[0002] More particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle seat back having a front face and a rear face provided with a setback for receiving a television monitor having a viewing screen, said rear face further being provided with a table mounted to pivot between a closed position and a deployed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Such a seat back provided with a television monitor is described in Document JP 11-151986. That seat back is provided with a complex mechanism for moving the television monitor between a folded-away position and an in-use position in which the viewing screen is disposed facing an occupant sitting behind said seat back on a second row of seats of a vehicle. When the occupant wishes to view the screen of the television monitor, said occupant firstly brings the table into the deployed position, and then extracts the television monitor from the setback in the seat back by means of a displacement mechanism which comprises rails mounted to pivot relative to the seat back and on which the television monitor is also mounted to pivot. That displacement mechanism thus requires the television monitor to be pivoted about two different axes in order to be brought into its in-use position, which complicates extracting it from the setback provided in the seat back. Furthermore, since that displacement mechanism is relatively voluminous, it is essential to overdimension the setback so that it can receive both the displacement mechanism and the television monitor when said monitor is in the folded-away position.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A particular object of the invention is to mitigate those drawbacks by proposing a vehicle seat back that enables the television monitor to be moved simply and effectively into the in-use position.

[0005] To this end, according to the invention, in a vehicle seat back of the type in question, the television monitor is mounted to pivot about an axis that is fixed relative to the seat back through an angular range of not less than 180° between firstly a folded-away position in which said monitor is received in the setback, the viewing screen being disposed facing the rear face of said seat back, and secondly an in-use position in which the viewing screen is designed to face a user disposed facing said rear face of the seat back.

[0006] In preferred embodiments of the invention, it is optionally possible to use one or more of the following provisions:

[0007] the angular range through which the table pivots between the closed position and the deployed position is not less than 180°;

[0008] the seat back is provided with angular indexing means adapted to enable the table to be held in predetermined angular positions relative to the closed position;

[0009] the predetermined angular positions of the table relative to the closed position are substantially equal to 15°, 90°, 135°, and 180°;

[0010] the television monitor is pivotally mounted directly on a module mounted in fixed manner in the setback provided in the rear face of the seat back, the module being provided with a recess serving to receive the television monitor when it is in the folded-away position;

[0011] the module is also equipped with a camera adapted to film a zone facing the rear face of the seat back, the camera being disposed so that the field of vision is not obstructed by the television monitor when said monitor is in the folded-away position and is not obstructed by the monitor when it is in the in-use position;

[0012] the module is provided with lighting means for lighting a zone facing the rear face of the seat back;

[0013] the table is pivotally mounted on a bottom portion of the module; and

[0014] said seat back extends between a bottom end and a top end, and, when in the in-use position, the television monitor extends beyond the top end of the seat back.

[0015] In addition, the invention also provides a motor vehicle seat comprising a seat proper pivotally receiving a seat back as defined above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] In the drawings:

[0018]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation view partially in section showing a vehicle seat equipped with a seat back of the invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1, when the table is in the closed position;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle seat when the table is in the deployed position, and when the television monitor is in the folded-away position;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle seat when the table is in the deployed position and the television monitor is in the in-use position; and

[0022]FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of the vehicle seat when the seat back is in folded-forwards position, the television monitor being in the in-use position and the table being in the deployed position.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In the various figures, like references designate elements that are identical or similar.

[0024]FIG. 1 shows a front seat 1 of a motor vehicle, which seat comprises a seat proper 2 extending between a front end 21 and a rear end 22, and a seat back 3 mounted to pivot on the rear end 22 of the seat proper 2. The seat back 3 extends substantially vertically between a bottom end 31 and a top end 32.

[0025] The seat back 3 also has a front face 33 which co-operates with the seat proper 2 to define a space for receiving the occupant of the front seat, and a rear face 34 having a top portion which receives a television monitor 4 and a pivotally mounted table 5.

[0026] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the top portion of the rear face 34 has a setback 35 defined by an end wall 35 a, a bottom edge 35 b and two side edges 35 c which extend to the top end 32 of the seat back 3. The setback 35 is adapted to receive a module 36 on which the television monitor 4 and the table 5 are pivotally mounted directly. The module 36, which, for example, can be made of a plastics material, has outside shapes that are complementary to the shapes of the setback 35 formed in the top portion of the rear face 34 of the seat back 3. The module 36 is fixed in the setback 35, e.g. by means of fixing members (not shown) which can be constituted by catch members serving, for example, to be clipped into notches provided in the end wall 35 a of the setback 35 of the seat back 3.

[0027] The table 5 is pivotally mounted directly on the bottom portion of the module 36. The table 5 can, in particular, be mounted to pivot between a closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, and in which it covers the module 36 entirely, and a deployed position making it possible for a user to have access to the television monitor 4. In its deployed position, the table 5 can form an angle of about 90° relative to the module 36, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. However, the table 5 can also be pivoted beyond this position to form an angle of 135° relative to the module 36 so as to serve as a support for reading or writing for the user of the rear bench seat, or else an angle of 180° so that said table is disposed substantially parallel to the rear face 34 of the seat back 3. In addition, the table 5 can also be pivoted through an angle of about 15° relative to its closed position so as to enable its free end to form a coat hook on which to hang clothes. Advantageously, the table 5 can also be pivotally mounted on the module 36 with angular indexing means enabling in particular said table 5 to take up predetermined angular positions, e.g. at 15°, 90°, 135°, or 180° relative to its closed position.

[0028] The television monitor 4 is pivotally mounted on the top potion of the module 36 to pivot between a folded-away position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and an in-use position shown in FIGS. 4. The television monitor has an uninterrupted face 4 a that forms the rear face of the monitor and a viewing face 4 b which includes a viewing screen 41.

[0029] More precisely, the television monitor 4 is pivotally mounted on the module 36 by means of two support arms 6, each of which extends between a first end fixed to the television monitor and a second end mounted to pivot about an axis X (FIG. 1) which is horizontal and fixed relative to the module 36 and thus relative to back 3 of the seat. The second ends of the arms 6 are received directly and snugly in notches 36 a provided directly in the top portion of the module 36 so as to hold the television monitor in a position chosen by the user. Thus, the television monitor can pivot firstly between a folded-away position in which the television monitor is housed in a recess 36 b provided directly in the module 36, the viewing screen 41 then being disposed facing the recess 36 b and thus facing the rear face 34 of the back 3, and secondly an in-use position in which the television monitor pivots through an angular range of not less than 180° so that said viewing screen 41 is disposed facing away from the rear face 34 of the seat back 3, the occupant sitting behind the seat 1 thus being able to view the viewing screen 41. In said in-use position, the television monitor 4 advantageously extends beyond the top end 32 of the seat back 3, thereby offering the user comfortable viewing. The recess 36 b can also be provided with a well 36 c for removably receiving a remote control box for remotely controlling the television monitor 4.

[0030] The television monitor 4 can also be connected to an electronic device 7 making it possible to display information such as a still or motion video image, text, or menus, or the like on said viewing screen 41. In particular, the electronic device can comprise a reader for reading a digital disk for storing video and/or audio information, which reader is disposed directly, for example, under the seat proper 2 of the seat 1.

[0031] In which case, respective wires can connect the electronic device 7 to the television monitor 4, which wires then pass via the support arms 6 that connect the television monitor 4 to the seat back 3. The top end 32 of the seat back 3 can also be provided with a head rest disposed optionally so as to limit the extent to which the television monitor 4 can pivot into its in-use position in which it forms at least an angle of 180° relative to the module 36. In addition, the module 36 can also be equipped with a camera 8, e.g. disposed between the two support arms 6 which support the television monitor 4, which camera 8 is adapted to film the occupant in the zone disposed facing the rear face 34 of the seat back 3. Advantageously, said camera 8 is in no way obstructed by the television monitor 4 when said monitor is in its folded-away position as shown in FIG. 3 or when the monitor is in its in-use position as shown in FIG. 4. The camera 8 can, in particular, be connected to a viewing screen disposed on the dashboard of the motor vehicle so that, for example, the driver can see what the user of the viewing screen 41 is doing.

[0032] The camera 8 can also be connected to the television monitor so that the viewing screen 41 acts as a mirror for the user, with all the appropriate adjustments such as magnification or brightness adjustments.

[0033] In addition, the module 36 can also be provided with lighting means 9, in particular when the table 5 is used as a work support and in particular a support for reading or writing.

[0034] In addition, as can be seen in FIG. 4, when the television monitor 4 is in the in-use position, the operator can fold the table 5 away into its closed position so that is substantially flush with the rear face 34 of the seat back 3, thereby offering optimum comfort for the user of said television monitor 4.

[0035] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, it is also possible to fold the seat back 2 forwards so that its front face 33 is disposed substantially parallel to and against the top face of the seat proper 2, it then being possible for an operator to deploy the table 4 so that it forms an angle of at least 180° relative to the module 36, the operator then merely having to extract the television monitor 4 from its recess 36 b by pivoting it through an angle substantially equal to 90° in order for it to be possible to view the viewing screen 41 of the television monitor 4.

[0036] In a variant embodiment (not shown in FIGS. 1 to 4), the television monitor 4 can also be pivotally mounted directly on the rear face 34 of the seat back 3 which, for this purpose, is provided with a setback 35 of shape substantially complementary to the shape of the television monitor. Similarly, if the module 36 is omitted, the table 5 can be pivotally mounted directly on said rear face 34 of the seat back 3. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle seat back having a front face and a rear face provided with a setback for receiving a television monitor having a viewing screen, said rear face further being provided with a table mounted to pivot between a closed position and a deployed position, wherein the television monitor is mounted to pivot about an axis that is fixed relative to the seat back through an angular range of not less than 180° between firstly a folded-away position in which said monitor is received in the setback, the viewing screen being disposed facing the rear face of said seat back, and secondly an in-use position in which the viewing screen is designed to face a user disposed facing said rear face of the seat back.
 2. A seat back according to claim 1, in which the angular range through which the table pivots between the closed position and the deployed position is not less than 180°.
 3. A seat back according to claim 2, provided with angular indexing means adapted to enable the table to be held in predetermined angular positions relative to the closed position.
 4. A seat back according to claim 3, in which the predetermined angular positions of the table relative to the closed position are substantially equal to 15°, 90°, 135°, and 180°.
 5. A seat back according to claim 1, in which the television monitor is pivotally mounted directly on a module mounted in fixed manner in the setback provided in the rear face of the seat back, the module being provided with a recess serving to receive the television monitor when it is in the folded-away position.
 6. A seat back according to claim 5, in which the module is also equipped with a camera adapted to film a zone facing the rear face of the seat back, the camera being disposed so that the field of vision of the camera is not obstructed by the television monitor when said monitor is in the folded-away position and is not obstructed by the monitor when it is in the in-use position.
 7. A seat back according to claim 5, in which the module is provided with lighting means for lighting a zone facing the rear face of the seat back.
 8. A seat back according to claim 5, in which the table is pivotally mounted on a bottom portion of the module.
 9. A seat back according to claim 1, in which said seat back extends between a bottom end and a top end, and, when in the in-use position, the television monitor extends beyond the top end of the seat back.
 10. A motor vehicle seat comprising a seat proper pivotally receiving a seat back according to claim
 1. 